The Salvation Army commends the Housing Foundation for its research released today, which it says is critical to the dialogue necessary to drive action to address New Zealand’s housing crisis.

‘The Housing Foundation research confirms beyond doubt what many have instinctively known: that in demonstrable ways, many New Zealanders are living in less stable, secure and healthy homes,’ said Lieut-Colonel Ian Hutson, Director of The Salvation Army’s Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit.

This research shows:
• dropping rates of household home ownership: from 74% in 1991 to 64% in 2015
• an increasing proportion of households who rent: from 23% in 1991 to 32% in 2015
• escalating cost of housing in Auckland where 115,000 of renters can’t afford the median rent of $540 per week.

The evidence is clear that New Zealand has reached a turning point where significant action and strong leadership is required, Lieutenant-Colonel Hutson said. This evidence includes:
• agencies like The Salvation Army struggling to meet the demand for housing, especially in Auckland
• people living in unstable, insecure, unhealthy and otherwise inappropriate accommodation, including families sleeping in cars
• begging in the streets has become a normalised sight
• child poverty has become entrenched.

‘Market-driven theories about how to address these growing problems are proving inadequate. Instead, it is clear that governments, councils, churches, investors, private property owners all have a part to play together to adequately address this crisis,’ Lieutenant-Colonel Hutson said.

‘The Salvation Army believes every person deserves a level of support that enables them to flourish. The current housing crisis is undermining this ideal by fostering a level of debilitating poverty. Ensuring that everyone has a dry, warm and safe home is perhaps the most important way we can provide this support and lift our fellow New Zealanders out of poverty.’

#ends

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